CN116324696A - software clipboard - Google Patents

Abstract

This article describes techniques for implementing a device's clipboard menu. When the user operates the device, the clipboard menu may be superimposed on the display of the device. The clipboard menu can include options to share, edit and save the content. Users can launch the clipboard menu by selecting what is displayed on the device. The user can then drag the selection to one of the options in the clipboard menu. Sharing options allow users to share content with other contacts or applications. Editing options allow users to edit and/or crop content. For example, users can change the appearance of the content or crop parts of the content. Save options allow users to save content to short-term or long-term storage. Users can then access the content by calling the clipboard interface.

Description

software clipboard

Cross References to Related Applications

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/081,760, filed September 22, 2020, entitled "CLIPBOARDIMPLEMENTATION FOR SOFTWARE APPLICATION," which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

technical field

The present disclosure generally relates to the implementation of a software clipboard on a user device, and more particularly, to techniques for implementing various software functions and user interface design of the software clipboard.

Background technique

Mobile devices have become such a vital part of everyday life that their usage has grown exponentially in recent decades. This growth in usage has in turn led to a similar increase in the functionality and content available on mobile devices. Perhaps one of the most important reasons for the growing popularity of mobile devices is that they enable ordinary people to easily integrate mobile device functionality into their daily lives. As a result, people today have organized their lives around the capabilities of their mobile devices.

In fact, with the advancements in computer and networking technology, the computing power and capabilities of modern mobile phones are astounding. Using personal mobile devices to complete everyday tasks such as reading books, ordering groceries, communicating with friends and family, working, studying and many other tasks is now a part of the norm. Therefore, it is desirable to have a technology that can integrate the capabilities of mobile devices with user interfaces in a user-friendly, intuitive and convenient manner, so that ordinary people can more easily operate and effectively utilize various functions provided by their mobile devices.

Description of drawings

The technology presented herein may be better understood by reference to the following detailed description and drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate identical or functionally similar elements.

Figure 1 shows an example of a display including a clipboard menu.

Figure 2A shows an example of the display before the clipboard menu is activated.

Figure 2B shows an example of a display including a clipboard menu activated by a long press.

FIG. 3A shows an example of a user dragging content to a clipboard menu.

FIG. 3B shows an example of changes in the appearance of content when the content is dragged close to the clipboard menu.

Fig. 4 shows an example of a clipboard menu applied to email content.

Fig. 5 shows an example of a modified clipboard menu.

FIG. 6A shows an example of dragging content to a share icon in a clipboard menu.

FIG. 6B shows an example of a sharing menu.

FIG. 7A shows another example of dragging content to a share icon in the clipboard menu.

FIG. 7B shows another example of a sharing menu.

Figure 8A shows an example of sharing content from one application to another.

Figure 8B shows an example of transferring content to another application.

Figure 9A shows an example of dragging content to the crop icon in the clipboard menu.

Fig. 9B shows an example of crop mode.

FIG. 10A shows an example of a cropping action performed by a user.

FIG. 10B shows an example of dragging a cropped portion to the clipboard menu.

FIG. 11A shows an example of dragging content to a save icon in the clipboard menu.

FIG. 11B shows an example of prompt information when content has been copied to the clipboard.

FIG. 12A shows an example of a submenu generated when content is dragged near the save icon within the clipboard menu.

Figure 12B shows an example of prompt information when saving content to a location on a device.

FIG. 13A shows another example of a submenu generated when content is dragged near the clipboard icon within the clipboard menu.

13B shows another example of prompt information when saving content to a location on a device.

Figure 14 shows an example of a scrolling menu activated when content is dragged near the save icon.

Figure 15A shows an example of a dock activated by a swipe gesture.

Figure 15B shows an example of retrieving content from the dock.

FIG. 16A shows an example of moving a dock by a swipe gesture.

Figure 16B shows an example of a relocated dock.

Figure 17A shows an example of moving text from a dock to an application.

Figure 17B shows an example of dragging text from the dock to an application.

Fig. 18 shows an example of the annotation function.

Figure 19A shows an example of launching a prompt within the dock.

Figure 19B shows an example of a clipboard application interface.

20 is a flowchart illustrating an example method for implementing a clipboard menu.

21 is a high-level block diagram illustrating an example of a mobile system in which at least some operations related to the techniques presented herein may be implemented.

Detailed ways

References to "embodiments," "some aspects," etc. in this specification mean that the described specific features, functions, structures, or characteristics are included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The appearances of such phrases in this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. On the other hand, the mentioned embodiments are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

The growing reliance on mobile devices has driven industry players to improve the functionality of mobile devices. Often, the goal of improving the functionality of mobile devices is to help incorporate mobile devices into everyday affairs, or at least to improve everyday affairs. For example, banks now have apps that allow online check deposits, money transfers, and other activities that traditionally required a visit to a bank. In another example, newspapers and magazines are traditionally in hard copy. These days, they're application-based, simulating parts of the hardcopy equivalent.

On the other hand, people's increasing dependence on mobile devices also highlights the shortcomings of mobile devices. For example, the lack of interoperability between applications on mobile devices, the primitive nature of content sharing capabilities, and the lack of options to customize content from applications. For example, there may be multiple applications (eg, browser, messaging, camera, and photo gallery) on a mobile device. However, due to a lack of interoperability, users of mobile devices are rarely able to move content from one source to another without difficulty. For example, a user may use a browser application to view pictures of a beach resort. If the user wants to take a specific picture and attach it to the short message, the user must download the image to the mobile device, take a screenshot, or copy the uniform resource location (URL) of the image. The user must then open the messaging application and attach the image to the short message via a menu within the messaging application. In other words, due to the lack of interoperability between the interfaces of each application, users must operate each application individually.

Another issue, which in some cases resembles the interoperability issue, is the primitive nature of content sharing capabilities. Currently, users have limited options if they want to share content with another person via SMS, email, or other content sharing methods. In particular, this option limits what can be shared. For example, if a user is browsing a website and wants to share a specific image on the website with a friend, the user is limited to sharing the URL. In another example, if a user is scrolling through a digital furniture catalog and wants to share an image of a chair, the user is also limited to sharing a URL, or in some cases, a screenshot.

There's also the problem of not being able to customize content from the app. Currently, if a user wants to share or save content from an app, the user must save the entire selection to the device and then use another app to customize the content. For example, if a user likes a stool in a living room shown in a digital furniture catalog, the user must first save an image of the living room. The user can then open another application (eg, a photo editor) to edit the image so that only the stool is displayed until the user can use the stool image for other applications.

Therefore, this article introduces a clipboard menu with various integrated options and functions (eg, sharing, saving and/or editing content). When an operation such as a long press is performed on the content in the application, the clipboard menu may be displayed at the top of the interface of the application. For example, the clipboard menu can be displayed in a radial fashion at the corners of the screen of the user device, or the clipboard menu can be as a vertical menu near the vertical edge of the user device. Once the clipboard menu appears, users can drag content to any of at least three icons to perform tasks.

The first icon may be a share icon. The share icon can be launched when the user drags and drops content near the share icon. Once started, various submenus can be displayed to help share content. Typically, a submenu provides destination options for content. Different submenus can group destinations based on commonalities. For example, a submenu may include a list of applications on the user's device. Another submenu can include a list of contacts. In some embodiments, the share icon may prompt a series of submenus. For example, the first submenu may include a list of frequently contacted contacts. Once the user selects a contact, the second sub-menu can include a list of applications through which content sharing can be performed (eg, WhatsApp or WeChat).

The second icon may be a save icon. Similar to the share icon, the save icon can be launched when the user drags and drops content near the save icon. Once the content is placed near the save icon, the content may be saved in short-term or long-term memory of the user device, such as random-access memory (RAM). In some embodiments, a submenu may be displayed that provides options for saved destinations. For example, a user may wish to save content in a specific folder or other location on the device.

The third icon may be an edit icon. Similar to the share icon and save icon, the edit icon can be launched when content is dragged and dropped near the crop icon. Once activated, an editing interface may be displayed that allows the user to edit content. In some embodiments, the editing interface includes options to edit and/or crop content. For example, an editing interface may include options to resize content, change color, and/or add content (eg, text). Once the user has edited the content, the user can use the sharing and/or saving functions discussed above.

In the following description, for purposes of illustration only, the example of a mobile device is used to explain various aspects of the technology. Note, however, that the techniques presented here are not limited in their applicability to mobile devices or any other particular type of device. For example, other electronic devices or systems (eg, laptops or tablets) may employ these techniques in a similar manner.

Also, in the following description, content is described as any content within a user device. Note that content may include, for example, text, audio, images, animation, and/or video. In addition, the content may also include metadata or other forms of data that enable reproduction of the content at another location.

clipboard menu

FIG. 1 shows an example of a display 100 including a clipboard menu 102 . The clipboard menu 102 includes a share icon 102A, an edit icon 102B, and a save icon 102C. Clipboard menu 102 may be a hidden menu that may be displayed on display 100 based on user input. The input can be a gesture, such as a long press, a single-finger swipe, a multi-finger swipe, or other common gestures. In another example, the input may be a keystroke, a mouse click, or a mouse movement. For example, a user may view content on the display 100 . Initially, the clipboard menu 102 may not be displayed or hidden. Then, the user may long press the content within the display 100 for a predetermined amount of time. Based on a long press, a clipboard menu 102 may be displayed at the lower right corner of the display 100 .

In some embodiments, clipboard menu 102 may be superimposed on display 100 . For purposes of illustration, overlay means that graphical content is displayed over background content such that both remain distinct and both remain functional. For example, a user device may be displaying a browser, and the user may scroll through content within the browser. At the same time, the user equipment may also display a clipboard menu 102 (for example, as shown in FIG. 1 ) in the lower right corner. In another example, prior to opening the application, the user device may be on a home screen and the clipboard menu 102 may be displayed in the lower right corner of the display 100 .

In some embodiments, the clipboard menu 102 is modifiable. Modifications may include, for example, changing the location of the clipboard menu 102, changing the arrangement of icons within the clipboard menu 102, changing the layout of the clipboard menu 102, moving individual icons, or adding/removing functionality. For example, the user device may display a clipboard menu 102 in the lower right corner of the display 100 . However, users may find the clipboard menu 102 distracting from background content. Thus, the user can select (eg, long press) the clipboard menu 102 and drag it to another location on the display 100 . In some cases, depending on where the user drags the clipboard menu 102, the layout may change automatically. For example, if the user drags the clipboard menu 102 to the left or right edge of the screen, the clipboard menu 102 can automatically become a hidden menu or a vertical menu.

In another example, a user may add functions to and/or remove functions from the clipboard menu 102 . For example, a user can add functionality by dragging and dropping applications near the clipboard menu 102 . A user can remove a function by dragging an icon (eg, 102A) from the clipboard menu 102 . In addition, the user can change the default function of the icons. For example, a user may drag and drop the user device's default messaging application near the share icon 102A. Once dropped, the messaging application is available by default when the share icon 102A is activated.

Share icon 102A allows content to be shared using various methods. A user may activate the share icon 102A by selecting, dragging, and dropping content near the location of the share icon 102A. Once activated, the user device may open a sharing interface (eg, a menu) that prompts the user to select from various options to share content. A shared interface can be a series of menus, each with more filtering options. For example, when a user drags an image near the location of the share icon 102A, the share interface may open. The initial sharing interface may include various methods for sharing content, such as via Bluetooth, near field communications (NFC), email, messaging (such as WhatsApp or WeChat), and/or social media platforms (such as Instagram) . Once the user has made a selection, a second menu can be displayed that includes more options. For example, if the user selects Email, the second menu may include a list of frequently used email addresses. In another instance, if the user selected a messaging application, the second menu may include a list of frequently messaged contacts.

Edit icon 102B allows cropping and editing of content. Similar to the share icon 102A, the edit icon 102B can be launched by selecting, dragging, and dropping content near the location of the edit icon 102B. Once launched, an editing interface can be opened, providing users with various options for cropping and editing content. The editing interface may include options for cropping content, editing appearance (eg, coloring), and/or adding text to content. For example, a user may place an image of a furnished living room near edit icon 102B. The editing interface can display images and crop/edit options. In the editing interface, the user can crop certain parts of the image. In this case, a user could crop out a sofa or chair from an image of a furnished living room. Once a part is cropped, the editing interface can display only the cropped part for further editing. In another example, a user may change the appearance of an image of a furnished room by changing brightness, color scheme, contrast, or other such aesthetic characteristics.

Save icon 102C allows a user to save content to long-term and/or short-term storage. Similar to other icons, the save icon 102C may be activated when content is selected, dragged, and dropped near the save icon 102C. Once activated, the save icon 102C may save the content to a default location or open a menu with location options. In either case, the location may be on the user device or elsewhere (eg, cloud storage). For example, a user may drag a video clip near save icon 102C. The user may have previously selected a folder within the memory of the user device as the default location. Thus, video clips can be automatically stored in the memory location associated with the folder. Alternatively, a location menu can be displayed and the user can select a location.

Figure 2A shows an example of the display before the clipboard menu is activated. In Figure 2A, the user is scrolling through content on their device. As previously stated, the user may use the device for normal activities such as scrolling through content on applications, operating the home screen, or other activities normally performed on the user's device. In this case, the clipboard menu (eg, clipboard menu 102) may be a hidden menu. Once the user selects content, a clipboard menu may be displayed on the display 200 . FIG. 2B shows an example of a display including a clipboard menu 202 activated by a long press. In FIG. 2B , the user may select to use in the clipboard menu 202 activated by the long press by long pressing on the image 204 . In other words, the long press on the image 204 has triggered the user device to display the long press activated clipboard menu 202 .

FIG. 3A shows an example of a user dragging content 302A to clipboard menu 304A. As shown, content 302A is dragged by the user, which begins with a long press. However, other gestures and devices may also be used. For example, a user may click and drag content 302A using a mouse. In some embodiments, content 302A may be automatically resized when a drag gesture approaches clipboard menu 304A. By doing so, it is made easier for the user to accurately place the content 302A near the desired icon.

FIG. 3B shows an example of changes in the appearance of content 302B when content 302B is dragged close to clipboard menu 304B. Resizing the content 302B enables the user to place the content near an icon in the clipboard menu 304B. The sizing may be based on, for example, the size of the icons within the clipboard menu 304B and/or the size of the display 300 . In some cases, the size of clipboard menu 304B may vary based on the location of the screen. Accordingly, the resizing of content 302B may also vary.

FIG. 4 shows an example 400 of a clipboard menu 402 applied to email content 404 . In general, clipboard menu 402 is available for many applications and content types. For example, in FIG. 4 , clipboard menu 402 is used to share, save and/or edit email content 404 . The user can share the email content 404 with contacts, save the email content 404 in a desired memory location, or edit the email content 404 . As discussed in further detail below, the user may save the email content 404 to long-term or short-term memory on the user device, or may also save to a remote memory location. Using the editing function, a user can, for example, change the appearance (eg, color) or content of email content 404 . For example, the user can crop out some text. Thus, clipboard menu 402 is applicable to many applications and content types.

FIG. 5 shows an example 500 of a modified clipboard menu 502 . The clipboard menu discussed in this article can change form depending on the environment being started. Context can be, for example, the underlying application, the type of content selected, how the clipboard menu is launched, and/or user preferences. Alterations may include changes in appearance and/or changes in function. In FIG. 5, for example, the user has launched a modified clipboard menu 502 in an email application. Thus, the modified clipboard menu 502 has opened as a menu inline with where the user performed the launch gesture (eg, long press), and includes additional snippet options.

First, the modified clipboard menu 502 can be displayed inline as a vertical menu according to the launch gesture. By doing so, the user can more easily access the functionality of the modified clipboard menu 502 when entering email. For example, instead of dragging specific text to the location of the clipboard menu (eg, clipboard menu 304A), the functionality of the modified clipboard menu 502 can be used adjacent to the text. Second, added features such as snippet options can help users in specific situations. For example, this article's snippets feature helps users build emails by providing predetermined text phrases. Text phrases can be determined based on context and based on, for example, common phrases and user history. For example, a user may prefer to end an email with "Best Regards." So when the user enters multiple spaces and starts a line with "B", the fragment function can propose "Best Regards".

In another example, when a user is watching a video, the added functionality may be to select a time range within the video. Once selected, the user is able to use other functions within the modified clipboard menu 504 . For example, a user might be watching a five-minute video. When the user launches the clipboard menu, it can include time range options in addition to save, share, and edit. Users can select the time range option and select the first two minutes of the video. After that, users can drag the first two minutes of the video to any other option in the clipboard menu instead of the entire five-minute video. Thus, the clipboard menu may include additional functionality based on the environment in which the clipboard menu was launched.

shared

FIG. 6A shows an example of dragging content 604 to a share icon in clipboard menu 602 on display 600 . Once the user places the content 604 near the share icon, which overlaps the content 604 in FIG. 6A , the user may be presented with options on how to share the content. As previously mentioned, the user may be presented with a menu containing various methods of sharing. For example, a menu could include common applications for sharing content, a follow-up menu could include frequently contacted contacts, or a single menu could include all options needed to share content.

An example of share menu 606 is shown in FIG. 6B . Share menu 606 includes contact list 608 . In this case, share menu 606 may default to an email application, or share menu 606 may be one of a series of menus. For example, share menu 606 may be the second menu in a series of menus where the first menu prompts the user to select an application for sharing. In the first menu, the user may have selected an email application. The second menu (eg, share menu 606) may have a different user interface if the user has selected another application in the first menu.

Contact list 608 may include frequently contacted emails, alphabetical email addresses, or other email addresses. In Figure 6B, the user is given the option to select an email address or enter a name. If the user enters a name, the email address associated with that name may be displayed in contact list 608 . Alternatively, the user can simply select one of the already displayed email addresses. As another option, the user may choose to view more contacts, which may prompt the contact list 608, eg, display additional email addresses or open a contacts application within the user's device.

Once the user selects contacts with whom to share the content 604, the user device may share the content via the user-selected option. The content 604 may include all data required by the recipient of the content to render the content 604 on its end. For example, if content 604 is an image, recipients of content 604 may render the image on their device upon receipt. In another example, if the content 604 is a video, the recipient of the video can play the video on their device upon receipt.

FIG. 7A shows another example of dragging content 704 to a share icon in clipboard menu 702 on display 700 . Figure 7A and its elements 702 and 704 are similar to Figure 6A and its elements 602 and 604, respectively. Here, another example of the share menu 706 is shown in FIG. 7B . Share menu 706 includes options for applications to which content 704 can be shared. As previously mentioned, content 704 can be shared to an application that enables connection (eg, chat) with others. Additionally, the content 704 can be shared to another application such that the content 704 can be viewed within the interface of that application. For example, content 704 may be shared to a "PDF Converter" application. Thus, the user device can open the "PDF Converter" application and integrate the content 704 into the interface of the "PDF Converter" application. In other words, more generally, the content 704 can be shared with any application and integrated into the interface shared with the application to use the functionality of the application.

FIG. 8A shows an example 800 of sharing content 802 from one application to another. Figure 8A also includes a menu 804, which is similar in function to the share menu 606 of Figure 6B and the clipboard menu 706 of Figure 7A. Here, menu 804 is a vertical menu near the edge of the display. The user can drag content 802 to a location on menu 804 by not terminating the drag gesture. The user can drag the content 802 near the share icon, hold the content 802 near the share icon until the menu 804 is displayed, and then continue to drag the content 802 to the desired option.

Figure 8B shows an example of transferring content 802 to another application. Once the user places content 802 at a desired option (eg, an application) on menu 804, the selected application may open with content 802 placed therein. In FIG. 8B , the user selects email application 806 . Accordingly, the content 802 is transferred to the email application 806 and placed in the application's interface. In some embodiments, content 802 may be transmitted to an email as an attachment, rather than being pasted in a text box. In some embodiments, the location in the selected application to which the content 802 is transferred may vary depending on the type of content. For example, if content 802 is an email address, rather than an image, then content 802 may be transmitted to the "To" text box, rather than the body of the email.

In some embodiments, there may be intermediate steps between selecting an application in FIG. 8A and opening the selected application shown in FIG. 8B. Intermediate steps can include options based on the selected application. In this case, the user selects an email application. Thus, intermediate steps may include options such as where to paste the content 802, to whom the email should be sent, or how the content 802 should be transferred to the email application.

edit

FIG. 9A shows an example of dragging content 904 to the edit icon in the clipboard menu 902 displayed on the display 900 . As shown in FIG. 9A, the edit icon is not displayed because the content 904 is being dragged onto the edit icon. Once the user drags and drops content 904 within clipboard menu 902 near the location of the edit icon, edit mode 906 may be displayed. In some embodiments, the user may not need to drag the content 904 near the edit icon. Instead, users can select the edit icon to enable editing tools. The editing tool may allow a user to cut (eg, draw a circle around) content 904 from display 900 . After doing so, an edit mode 906 can be automatically displayed with the cropped content to allow the user to perform further edits.

An example of edit mode 906 is shown in FIG. 9B . Editing mode 906 may include content 908 and several editing options for the user to apply. In some embodiments, edit mode 906 may include prompts to edit dimensions, color schemes, and/or add text or features to content 908 . For example, a user may edit content 908 to change brightness or black and white contrast. In another example, the user may add text by using a finger drag gesture, a stylus, or typing on the user device's keyboard.

FIG. 10A shows an example of a cut out 1002 view of content being trimmed by a user in edit mode 1000 . Cut 1002 is a portion of content 1004 . A user may draw a graphic (eg, a circle or a square) around a portion of content 1004 . For example, the section may be a section of interest to the user. Here, the user has drawn around the face of a character in content 1004 to create cutout 1002 . In some embodiments, edit mode 1000 may detect that the user has finished cropping when, for example, the user lifts their finger or the start and end points of the drawing meet.

Once the user has finished drawing graphics around the cutout 1002, the user can perform other tasks using the cutout 1002. FIG. 10B shows an example of dragging cropped portion 1006 to clipboard menu 1008 . In some embodiments, the user can re-enable the clipboard menu 1008 for use with the crop section 1006 . In another example, crop mode 1000 may discard the remainder of content 1004 and allow the user to edit (eg, change the color scheme) cropped portion 1006 .

save

FIG. 11A shows an example of dragging content 1102 to a save icon 1104 on display 1100 . As mentioned earlier, drag gestures can also be other common gestures, such as mouse clicks and drags. Once the content 1102 is dropped near the save icon 1104, the content can be saved to short-term or long-term storage. In some cases, content 1102 may be saved to a default memory location. FIG. 11B shows an example of prompt information 1106 when content has been placed near the save icon 1104 . Prompt information 1106 may include a message informing the user of the memory location where the content is saved. In FIG. 11B, the content is saved in the clipboard. The clipboard is a buffer provided by some operating systems for short-term storage and transfer within and between applications. The clipboard is usually temporary and unnamed, and its contents reside in the computer's RAM.

FIG. 12A shows an example of a submenu 1202 that is generated when content 1204 is dragged near a save icon 1206 on the display 1200 . Unlike the example of default locations described in connection with FIGS. 11A and 11B , FIG. 12A shows a submenu 1202 that provides the user with options for locations where content 1206 may be stored. Submenu 1206 may include, for example, a list of frequently saved to locations or frequently visited locations.

Once the user drags content 1206 near save icon 1204 , submenu 1206 may be displayed on display 1200 . The user may drag content to a desired selection in submenu 1202 without terminating the drag gesture. Alternatively, the user may place the content 1206 near the save icon 1204 . Once the content 1206 is dropped, a submenu 1202 may be displayed. The user can then make a selection and the content can be saved to the chosen location. In this case, the content 1206 may be stored in short-term memory of the user device after the content 1206 is dropped and before the user makes a selection from the sub-menu 1202 .

Once the content 1206 is placed somewhere on the submenu 1202, a prompt message 1208 is displayed. Figure 12B shows an example prompt message 1208 when saving content to a selected location. Similar to prompt message 806 in FIG. 8B, prompt message 1208 may inform the user that content 1206 has been saved to the selected location. Prompt information 1208 may be superimposed on the bottom of display 1200 . In some embodiments, reminder information 1208 may be a time-based reminder information. In other words, the reminder message 1208 may appear on the display 1200 for a predetermined amount of time and automatically disappear. In some embodiments, the reminder message 1208 may gradually become transparent and fade away over a predetermined amount of time.

FIG. 13A shows another example 1300 of a submenu 1302 that is generated when content 1304 is dragged near the save icon within the clipboard menu. Submenu 1302 is similar in function to submenu 1202 . Generally, submenu 1302 provides a list of options where content 1302 can be saved. Unlike submenu 1202, submenu 1302 is larger and provides more detail about the options. As mentioned earlier, once the user selects a location, the user can receive a notification message. Figure 13B shows an example of prompt information 1306 when saving content to a location on the device. Similar to prompt message 1208, prompt message 1306 provides confirmation that content 1304 is saved to the selected location.

FIG. 14 shows an example of a scrolling menu 1402 that is activated when content is dragged near a save icon on the display 1400 . Similar to submenu 1202 in Figure 12A, scrolling menu 1402 includes a list of locations where content may be saved. When the user drags content towards the bottom of the scroll menu 1402, the scroll menu scrolls to reveal more options. Similarly, a user can drag content to the top of scroll menu 1402 to scroll in the opposite direction. Although this feature has been described in connection with the save icon, it should be noted that when content is dragged to any icon in the clipboard menu, a scrolling menu can be displayed.

dock bar

FIG. 15A shows an example of a dock 1502 activated by a swipe gesture. Dock 1502 may include recently saved content when the content is dragged to the save icon within the clipboard menu. For example, content may have been saved to the clipboard of the user device by default, as described in connection with FIG. 8B. In another example, the dock 1502 may display content from a user-selected memory location or a location on the user device.

Dock 1502 may be launched with a swipe gesture, such as the three-finger swipe gesture in Figure 15A. Alternatively, other common gestures can be used to invoke the dock 1502 . For example, a user may swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal dock 1502 . In another example, dock 1502 may be partially hidden so that only one prompt is displayed on display 1500 . Dock 1502 may appear on display 1500 when a user selects a prompt. In some embodiments, dock 1502 may be displayed inline with the gesture. In other words, dock 1502 may be displayed on display 1500 at the same location as the gesture.

In some embodiments, the dock 1500 may be displayed when the user is using the initiated interface of one of the functions of the clipboard discussed herein. For example, the dock 1502 may be invoked upon a user dragging and dropping content near an icon within the clipboard menu (eg, share icon 102A, edit icon 102B, or save icon 102C) and the corresponding interface is displayed. For example, in Figure 15A, the user is using a notes application. The user may already have the Notes app open because they dragged the content to the share icon and then selected the Notes app from the submenu. Thus, the user is now viewing content with the notes application, and the dock 1502 can be invoked.

In some embodiments, the dock 1502 can be invoked at any time, regardless of when the user previously dragged content to the clipboard menu. For example, a user might be using a notes app to draft a to-do list. While doing so, the user can remember what was saved to the clipboard regarding the items on the to-do list. To retrieve content, rather than trying to find the original source, the user can perform a gesture to display a dock 1502 to view the content.

FIG. 15B shows an example of retrieving content 1504 from dock 1502 . To retrieve content from dock 1502 , a user may select content within dock 1502 and drag it to another location on display 1500 . For example, in Figure 15B, the user can drag content from dock 1502 to the notes application. Once dragged into the notes application, the content 1504 can be automatically resized to be more visible on the display 1500 . In some embodiments, when the content 1504 is retrieved from the dock 1502 , the content is copied such that the dock 1502 continues to store the content 1504 and the notes application has a copy of the content 1504 . Thus, if the user invokes dock 1502 later, content 1504 will be visible again within dock 1502 . Optionally, once the content 1504 is retrieved from the dock 1502, the content 1504 can be removed from the dock 1502 (eg, the clipboard).

FIG. 16A shows an example 1600 of moving a dock 1602 by a swipe gesture. In some embodiments, the dock 1602 can be relocated to another location on the display. As noted above, in some embodiments, the dock 1602 may be displayed inline with the gesture used to invoke the dock 1602 . Afterwards, the dock 1602 can be moved by performing a common gesture such as a swipe gesture. A swipe gesture can start somewhere on the dock 1602 and swipe in the direction the dock 1602 should move.

In some embodiments, the dock 1602 may move following the gesture. For example, dock 1602 can move along a gesture (eg, a finger) and reposition to where the gesture ended. In some embodiments, the dock 1602 may always have an end near the edge of the screen. Thus, in FIG. 16A, when the user gestures to the left, the dock 1602 will be repositioned so that the left side of the dock 1602 is close to the left edge of the display. Similarly, if the user gestures toward the top of the display, the dock 1602 can be repositioned so that the top edge of the dock 1602 is closer to the top edge of the screen.

FIG. 16B shows an example of a relocated dock 1604 . In Figure 16A, the user gestures to the left. Accordingly, the relocated dock 1604 has been moved to the left relative to its original position. In some embodiments, the layout of the relocated dock 1604 may change relative to the dock 1602 . For example, if the user moves the repositioned dock 1604 to the edge of the screen, the repositioned dock 1604 may be vertical instead of horizontal. In some embodiments, the user can remove the relocated dock 1604 from the screen through a gesture. For example, if the user gestures toward the bottom of the screen, the relocated dock 1604 may disappear.

FIG. 17A shows an example of moving text 1702 from dock 1706 to another application within display 1700 . Similar to content 1504 in Figure 15B, text 1702 can be selected and dragged from dock 1704 to another application (eg, a notes application). Figure 17B shows an example of dragging text from dock 1706 to an application. The user can drag the text and place it where desired. In some embodiments, the user may only remove selected portions of text 1702 , rather than all of text 1702 . For example, a user may select a portion of text 1702 within dock 1704 and then drag only the selected portion to another location.

FIG. 18 shows an example 1800 of annotation functionality. Although the annotation functionality is described in conjunction with the dock, it should be noted that annotation can also be done without the dock. A user may annotate by using, for example, a stylus or finger to draw or add annotations 1802 to the application. Notes 1820 may be displayed over other content. In some embodiments, notes 1820 may be saved as content using the clipboard menu described herein.

FIG. 19A shows an example 1900 of launching a prompt 1902 within the dock. Prompt 1902 can be initiated by common gestures such as pressing or tapping. Once launched, a clipboard application program interface 1906 may be displayed. An example of a clipboard application interface 1906 is shown in FIG. 19B . Clipboard application interface 1906 may include the content of an icon (share icon 102A, edit icon 102B, or save icon 102C) that was previously dragged into the clipboard menu discussed herein. In some embodiments, the clipboard application program interface 1906 may only include the content of the save icon that was previously dragged into the clipboard menu discussed herein.

Content within clipboard menu interface 1906 may be organized based on, for example, the source of the content, the type of content, or the time the content was dragged to the icon. For example, a user may have previously dragged a video from a browser to the save icon, an image from a text message to the share icon, and an audio recording from the browser to the save icon. Each piece of content can be categorized accordingly and displayed under multiple categories. For example, video can be categorized as video and video from browser. Thus, a user can use the clipboard API 1906 to view all content stored on the clipboard, while the dock 1904 only displays the most recent content stored on the clipboard.

In some embodiments, these categories can be divided into multiple folders. These folders can then be shared similarly to other content. For example, a folder could be "Videos" which includes all videos dragged to the icon in the clipboard menu. Users can then share the "Videos" folder with any other folder in the device. For example, users can right-click or long-press on a folder and select a sharing option. In another example, a user can activate the clipboard menu discussed in this article and drag a folder to the share icon.

In some embodiments, clipboard API 1906 may integrate with and retrieve content from third-party resources. For example, clipboard API 1906 may integrate with a Resource Description Framework Site Summary (RSS) feed. Clipboard API 1906 can then display content from the RSS feed so that the user can drag and drop content as previously described. In some embodiments, clipboard API 1906 may integrate with content partners (eg, Pinterest). Accordingly, the clipboard API 1906 may display a content partner's graphical user interface (GUI).

For example, while viewing clipboard application program interface 1906, a user may select an option to view content from Pinterest. Clipboard application interface 1906 may then display the Pinterest GUI. Users can then view and retrieve content from the Pinterest GUI as previously described. Additionally, in some embodiments, folders within clipboard application interface 1906 may be synchronized with multiple contacts. Therefore, multiple contacts can view and edit the contents of the folder. This can be achieved by storing folders in a shareable memory location. For example, one of the content partners could be a shared drive, file sharing system, or other collaboration tool. Users can then share the location with other contacts and collaborate with them to update the contents of the folder.

method

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating an example method 2000 for implementing a clipboard menu. Method 2000 may be implemented by various components of the device that may execute instructions to adjust the screen of the device to display content based on user input. For example, a device may be any device that includes a processor and memory having instructions thereon executable by the processor. Additionally, the device may be a computing device that includes telephony functionality, and the screen of the computing device includes a touch screen display. In another example, method 2000 may be performed by a computer system executing instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium.

First, at block 2010, method 2000 includes detecting a particular motion on a target item displayed on a screen of a device. Specific actions may include user interface gestures that simulate grabbing of a target item. For example, grabbing may include dragging a target item. In another example, the grab includes a long press on the target item, and the long press includes a press and hold for more than a predetermined amount of time. In addition, specific actions can be performed on various target items. For example, target items may include one or more of: emails, calendar events, weather information, three-dimensional items, audio recordings, or video recordings.

Next, at block 2020, the method includes displaying a clipboard user interface configured to allow the user to drag and drop a target item onto the clipboard user interface to instruct the user to use multiple clipboards for the target item. An intent for one or more clipboard functions within a board function. In some embodiments, as in block 2022, based on the exact location where the user placed the target item, a select clipboard function corresponding to the exact location is initiated with respect to the target item.

The clipboard user interface may include multiple clipboard ribbons, each clipboard ribbon corresponding to a clipboard function. In some embodiments, multiple clipboard ribbons are arranged in a radial fashion extending from a common center. In the clipboard user interface, the main clipboard area may represent the storage space of the clipboard. The main clipboard area can occupy the common center. In some embodiments, the clipboard ribbon may be displayed on the clipboard user interface as an icon representing the clipboard ribbon.

One of the clipboard functions may include a sharing function. The sharing function may include a method that includes detecting whether the user intends to use the sharing function based on the exact location where the user placed the target item. In response to detecting an intent to use a sharing function, a sharing user interface including contact information is displayed to allow a user to initiate sharing of a target item with one or more contacts displayed on the sharing user interface.

Another clipboard feature can include inline editing capabilities. The method includes detecting whether the user intends to use the inline editing function based on the exact location where the user places the target item. In response to detecting an intent to use the inline editing function, an inline editing interface including editing tools is displayed to allow the user to perform inline editing on the target item. In some embodiments, the editing tools displayed in the inline editing interface may vary based on the content type of the target item. For example, the target item may be an image, and the editing tools may include cropping tools. Additionally, the cropping tool may include a stylus that allows the user to remove a portion of the image before it is added to the clipboard. In another example, the target item may be an audio and/or video recording, and the editing tools may include tools for changing the length of the audio and/or video recording.

In some embodiments, method 2000 may include detecting a dock call command by a user, and in response to the detected dock call command, displaying a dock of items included in the clipboard. The dock invocation command can be a gesture, and the dock can appear where the user performs the gesture. For example, a dock call command may be a user-selectable gesture. The gesture may be based on three fingers swiping in the same direction.

In some embodiments, displaying the dock may further include: detecting the location of a pointing device controlled by the user, and in response to detecting that the location of the pointing device is over the given item displayed in the dock, displaying an Function menu. In some embodiments, the items displayed in the dock may vary based on the type of application from which the user initiated the dock invocation command.

In some embodiments, the dock can be moved. Doing so includes detecting the user dragging the dock, and repositioning the dock to where the user dropped the dock. In addition, the dock includes a visual indicia representing an annotation function, and the method further includes detecting user selection of the annotation function, and displaying a stylus to allow the user to annotate one or more items in the clipboard.

The method 200 may also include automatically receiving data representing content of interest to the user from a networked server based on the user configuration, and including the content of interest to the user in the clipboard. Additionally, method 200 may include synchronizing the clipboard with another clipboard belonging to another user based on user configuration.

Computer System and Device Architecture

21 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computing system 2100 in which at least some of the operations described herein may be implemented. For example, some components of computing system 2100 for implementing a computing device include components that implement a clipboard menu.

Computing system 2100 may include one or more central processing units (also referred to as "processors") 2102, main memory 2106, non-volatile memory 2110, network adapters 2112 (e.g., network pointing devices), A drive unit 2124, and a signal generating device 2130 communicatively connected to the bus 2116. Bus 2116 is shown as an abstraction representing one or more physical buses and/or point-to-point connections connected by appropriate bridges, adapters or controllers. Therefore, the bus 2116 may include a system bus, a peripheral component interconnect (Peripheral Component Interconnect, PCI) bus or a serial bus, a Hypertransport or an industry standard architecture (ISA) bus, a small computer system interface (small computer system interface) , SCSI) bus, universal serial bus (universal serial bus, USB), IIC (I2C) bus, or the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 1394 bus (also known as "firewire").

Computing system 2100 may be shared with personal computers, tablet computers, mobile phones, game consoles, music players, wearable electronic devices (e.g., watches or fitness trackers), network-connected (“smart”) devices (e.g., televisions or home assistant device), a virtual/augmented reality system (e.g., a head-mounted display), or another electronic device capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) specifying actions to be taken by the computing system 2100 Computer processor architecture.

Although main memory 2106, non-volatile memory 2110, and storage medium 2126 (also referred to as "machine-readable medium") are shown as a single medium, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "storage medium" should be understood as Includes a single medium or multiple media (eg, a centralized/distributed database and/or associated caches and servers) storing one or more sets of instructions 2128 . The terms "machine-readable medium" and "storage medium" shall also include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by computing system 2100 .

In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module or sequence of instructions (collectively referred to as a "computer program"). Computer programs typically include one or more instructions (eg, instructions 2104, 2108, 2128) at various time settings in various memories and storage devices in a computing device. When read and executed by one or more processors 2102, the instructions cause computing system 2100 to perform operations to perform elements related to various aspects of the present disclosure.

Furthermore, while the embodiments have been described in the context of a fully functional computing device, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various embodiments can be distributed as a program product in various forms. This disclosure applies regardless of the particular type of machine or computer-readable medium used to actually effectuate distribution.

Further examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readable media, or computer-readable media include recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices 2110, floppy disks and other removable disks, hard drives, optical disks (such as , Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Disk (DVD)) and transmission type media such as digital and analog communication links.

Network adapter 2112 enables computing system 2100 to communicate data over network 2114 with entities external to computing system 2100 through any communication protocol supported by computing system 2100 and external entities. Network adapters 2112 may include network adapter cards, wireless network interface cards, routers, access points, wireless routers, switches, multilayer switches, protocol converters, gateways, bridges, bridge routers, hubs, digital media receivers, and/or or repeaters.

Network adapter 2112 may include a firewall that controls and/or manages permissions to access/proxy data in a computer network and keeps track of different levels of trust between different machines and/or applications. A firewall may be any number of modules having any combination of hardware and/or software components capable of enforcing between a specific set of machines and applications, machines and machines and/or applications A predetermined set of access rights (eg, to regulate traffic and resource sharing among these entities). Firewalls can also manage and/or access access control lists that detail permissions, including individual, machine, and/or application access and action permissions on objects, and the context in which permissions reside.

The techniques described herein may be implemented by programmable circuitry (eg, one or more microprocessors), software and/or firmware, dedicated hardwired (ie, non-programmable) circuitry, or a combination of these. The dedicated circuit may be in the form of one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and the like.

notes

The foregoing description of various embodiments of the claimed subject matter has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit claimed subject matter to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Embodiments were chosen and described in order to best describe the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the relevant art to understand the claimed subject matter, various embodiments and various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. .

Although the detailed description describes certain embodiments and the best mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the detailed description may appear, the technology can be implemented in many ways. Embodiments may vary widely in their implementation details while still being encompassed by the description. The use of specific terms when describing certain features or aspects of various embodiments should not be construed to imply that the terms are redefined herein to be limited to any specific feature, feature, or aspect of the technology with which the term is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the technology to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless those terms are explicitly defined herein. Accordingly, the actual scope of the technology includes not only the disclosed embodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the embodiments.

The language used in the instructions has been chosen primarily for readability and pedagogical purposes. It may not have been chosen to describe or qualify the subject. Accordingly, the scope of the technology is not to be limited by the specific embodiments, but rather by any claims based on this application. Therefore, the disclosure of various embodiments is intended to illustrate rather than limit the technical scope set forth in the following claims.

Claims (30)

1. A method for implementing a clipboard of a device, the method comprising: detecting a specific action performed by a user of the device on a target item displayed on the screen of the device; and In response to detecting the particular action, displaying a clipboard user interface configured to allow the user to drag and drop the target item onto the clipboard user interface to indicate the The user's intention to use one or more clipboard functions among the plurality of clipboard functions for the target item. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: Based on the exact location where the user places the target item, a selection clipboard function corresponding to the exact location is initiated with respect to the target item. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific action comprises a user interface gesture simulating a grab of the target item. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the grabbing includes dragging the target item. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the grabbing includes a long press on the target item, and the long press includes a press and hold for more than a predetermined amount of time. 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the clipboard user interface comprises a plurality of clipboard functional areas, and each clipboard functional area corresponds to a clipboard function. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of clipboard ribbons are arranged in a radial fashion extending from a common center. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the clipboard user interface further comprises a main clipboard area representing storage space for the clipboard. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the main clipboard area occupies the common center. 10. The method of claim 6, wherein a given clipboard functional area is displayed on the clipboard user interface as an icon representing the given clipboard function. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the clipboard function comprises a sharing function, the method further comprising: Detecting whether the user intends to use the sharing function based on the exact location where the user places the target item; and In response to detecting the intent to use a sharing function, displaying a sharing user interface including contact information to allow the user to initiate sharing of the target item with one or more contacts displayed on the sharing user interface . 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the clipboard functionality includes an inline editing functionality, the method further comprising: detecting whether the user intends to use the inline editing function based on the exact location where the user placed the target item; and In response to detecting the intent to use an inline editing function, an inline editing interface including an editing tool is displayed to allow the user to perform inline editing on the target item. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the editing tools displayed in the inline editing interface change based on the content type of the target item. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the target item is an image and the editing tool includes a cropping tool. 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the cropping tool includes a stylus that allows the user to remove a portion of the image before it is added to the clipboard . 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the target item is an audio and/or video recording, and the editing tools include tools for changing the length of the audio and/or video recording. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the target items include one or more of: emails, calendar events, weather information, three-dimensional items, audio recordings, or video recordings. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: detect said user's dock call command; and In response to detecting the dock call command, a dock of items included in the clipboard is displayed. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein the dock invocation command is a gesture, and the dock is displayed at a location where the user performs the gesture. 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the dock invocation command is a user selectable gesture. 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the dock invocation command is based on a three-finger sliding gesture in the same direction. 22. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises: detecting the location of a pointing device controlled by the user; and In response to detecting that the pointing device is positioned over a given item displayed in the dock, a menu of functions associated with the given item is displayed. 23. The method of claim 18, wherein the items displayed in the dock vary based on the type of application from which the user initiated the dock invocation command. 24. The method of claim 18, wherein the method further comprises: detecting that the user drags the dock; and repositioning the dock to where the user placed the dock. 25. The method of claim 18, wherein the dock further includes visual indicia representing annotation functionality, the method further comprising: detecting selection of the annotation function by the user; and A stylus is displayed to allow the user to annotate one or more items in the clipboard. 26. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: automatically receiving data representing content of interest to the user from a networked server based on the user configuration; and Include the content that the user is interested in in the clipboard. 27. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises: The clipboard is synchronized with another clipboard belonging to another user based on user configuration. 28. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a computing device including telephony functionality, and the screen of the device includes a touch screen display. 29. A device comprising: processor; and a memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the device to perform: detecting a specific action performed by a user of the device on a target item displayed on the screen of the device; and In response to detecting the particular action, displaying a clipboard user interface configured to allow the user to drag and drop the target item onto the clipboard user interface to indicate the The user's intention to use one or more clipboard functions among the plurality of clipboard functions for the target item. 30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed in a computer system, cause the computer system to perform: detecting a specific action performed by a user of the device on a target item displayed on the screen of the device; and In response to detecting the particular action, displaying a clipboard user interface configured to allow the user to drag and drop the target item onto the clipboard user interface to indicate the The user's intention to use one or more of a plurality of clipboard functions on the target item.

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